Machiavelli, Volume I eBook

ordered it to faight. But tournyng to our matter,
I saie, that minding to have the Campe sure, it is
requisite that it be strong, and in good order:
the industrie of the Capitaine, maketh it in order,
the situacion, or the arte, maketh it stronge.
The Grekes sought strong situacions, nor thei would
never place theim selves, where had not been either
cave, or bancke of a river, or multitude of trees,
or other naturall fortificacion, that might defende
theim: but the Romaines not so moche incamped
safe through the situacion, as through arte, nor thei
would never incampe in place, where thei should not
have been able to have raunged all their bandes of
menne, accordyng to their discipline. Hereby
grewe, that the Romaines might kepe alwaies one forme
of incamping, for that thei would, that the situacion
should bee ruled by them, not thei by the situacion:
the which the Grekes could not observe, for that beyng
ruled by the situacion, and variyng the situacion and
forme, it was conveniente, that also thei should varie
the maner of incampyng, and the facion of their lodgynges.
Therefore the Romaines, where the situacion lacked
strength thei supplied thesame with arte, and with
industrie. And for that I in this my declaracion,
have willed to imitate the Romaines, I will not departe
from the maner of their incamping, yet not observyng
altogether their order, but takyng thesame parte,
whiche semeth unto me, to be mete for this present
tyme. I have told you many tymes, how the Romaines
had in their consull armies, twoo Legions of Romaine
men, whiche were aboute a leven thousande footemen,
and sixe hundred horsemen, and moreover thei had an
other leven thousande footemen, sente from their frendes
in their aide: nor in their armie thei had never
more souldiers that were straungers, then Romaines,
excepte horsemenne, whom thei cared not, though thei
were more in nomber then theirs: and in all their
doynges, thei did place their Legions in the middeste,
and the aiders, on the sides: the whiche maner,
thei observed also in incampyng, as by your self you
maie rede, in those aucthoures, that write of their
actes: and therefore I purpose not to shewe you
distinctly how thei incamped, but to tell you onely
with what order, I at this presente would incampe
my armie, whereby you shall then knowe, what parte
I have taken out of the Romaine maners. You knowe,
that in stede of twoo Romaine Legions, I have taken
twoo maine battailes of footemen, of sixe thousande
footemen, and three hundred horsemen, profitable for
a maine battaile, and into what battailes, into what
weapons, into what names I have devided theim:
you knowe howe in orderyng tharmie to marche, and
to faight, I have not made mencion of other men, but
onely have shewed, how that doublyng the men, thei
neded not but to double the orders: but mindyng
at this presente, to shew you the maner of incampyng,
me thinketh good not to stande onely with twoo maine
battailes, but to bryng together a juste armie, made